RE: Please don't stop at campaign reform

[Taylor Willingham <taylor@bwillingham.com>]

Dear Al,

Your opening comment raises some important questions for us to struggle with during our deliberation. You state: "By relegating this power (the power to decide: who can qualify as a candidate? Who is entitled to contribute, and how much?) to anybody is a severe constriction on our cherished concept of freedom and liberty." These will be important questions to discuss as we move through the choices. It also seems that the very act of people coming together to deliberate this issue indicates a desire to NOT relegate power. Would you agree?

In response to your proposed solutions: We will spend some time deliberating proposed actions as we work through the choices. Some of your ideas may fit with the TYPES of actions proposed by the choices and some ideas may not seem to connect with any of the choices. The framework is meant to give us an organized way of talking with each other and is not really about voting for our preferred choice from an exhaustive list - ideas that are not explicit in the choices will still be honored and welcomed. 

Before we launch into detail, however, would you be willing to share some of the reasons why the solutions you have proposed appeal to you. Are there particular concerns that they address? Or is there a particular problem that you feel is really the root problem that they resolve?

BTW, I am a neutral presence in this conversation and am only concerned about keeping the conversation focused, deliberative and interactive. I have no other agenda. 

Taylor